Home ⺠Sengoku & Azuchi-Momoyama · 1537 â 1598
Toyotomi Hideyoshi: From Sandal-Bearer to Ruler of Japan
Quick version
- Hideyoshi rose from a humble background to serve Nobunaga, then took over after 1582.
- He reunified Japan by 1590 and ordered a nationwide land survey and a sword hunt.
- He built Osaka Castle and a famous golden tea room.
- His invasions of Korea (1592 and 1597) failed, and he died in 1598.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born into a peasant family, and rose to become the most powerful man in Japan. Even in the age of gekokujÅ, that is an extraordinary story. The tale that he rose by keeping Nobunagaâs sandals warm in his robe is almost certainly a legend. His talent for diplomacy, siege warfare and flattery is not.
Taking over
After Nobunaga died in 1582, Hideyoshi quickly defeated Akechi Mitsuhide. By 1590 he had brought the HÅjÅ of Odawara and the rest of Japan under control.
Rules to stop another Sengoku
- TaikÅ kenchi (land survey): fields were measured and their rice output (koku) recorded, creating a tax system.
- Katanagari (sword hunt, 1588): farmers had to hand over their weapons, officially to melt into a great Buddha statue. In practice it separated warriors from farmers.
- Social order: Hideyoshiâs policies pushed Japan toward fixed classes, which the Tokugawa later completed.
Bling and blossoms
Hideyoshi loved display. He built Osaka Castle (begun 1583) as his headquarters, and commissioned a portable golden tea room. In 1598 he held a giant cherry-blossom viewing party at Daigo-ji in Kyoto with around 1,300 guests. He died the same year.
The Korean invasions
Hideyoshi dreamed of conquering Ming China and sent armies through Korea in 1592 and 1597. The campaigns were costly and destructive for Korea and, in the end, unsuccessful. They ended when he died in 1598.
See it today
- Osaka Castle (Osaka): the keep seen today is a 1931 concrete reconstruction, but the giant stone walls and moats are original in places. The museum inside is worth a look.
- Daigo-ji (Kyoto): a UNESCO World Heritage temple, famous for cherry blossoms in spring.
- Toyokuni Shrine (Kyoto): dedicated to Hideyoshi.
- Nagoya Castle site, Karatsu (Saga): the ruined staging base for the Korean invasions.
Festival connection
The Jidai Matsuri in Kyoto (22 October) includes a Hideyoshi group in its costume parade. Daigo-ji also holds a Toyotomi Hanami procession in spring.
